Columbia University Medical Center News

In a ray of hope for people with alopecia areata -- an autoimmune disease that causes patchy, and sometimes total hair loss - researchers have found promise in a drug which is already approved for treating certain bone marrow disorders.

One is approved for treatment of blood diseases (ruxolitinib) and the other for rheumatoid arthritis (tofacitinib). Both are being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of plaque psoriasis and alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

Researchers found some specialized drugs that inhibit the Janus kinase (JAK) family of enzymes can actually help hair grow.